The Hymns and Carols of Christmas

Thys Ender Nyzth

For Christmas

Words: English Traditional from Ms. Royal App. 58

Music: Not Stated

Source: Ewald Flügel, "Liedersammlungen des XVI. Jahrhunderts, Besonders Aus Der Zeit Heinrich's VIII. I. 1. Die lieder des Add. Ms. 31922," in Anglia ; Zeitschrift für englische Philologie enthaltend Beitrage zur Geschlicht der englischen Sprache und Literatur. Volume xii. (Halle a.S.), pp. 270-272.

[50b] 270-2
..Thys ender nyzth
I saw a syzth
a ster as bryzth as day
..And euer among
A maydyn song[:]
by by baby lullay 270-3
[51a]
..Thys vyrgyn clere
wythowtyn pere
vnto hur son gane sing[:]

..my son my lorde
my fathere dere
why lyest thow in hay[?]
..me thenke be ryght
thow kyng & knyght
shulde lye in ryche aray [!]
..yet none the lesse
I wyll not cess
to syng by by lullay [!]
..Thys babe füll bayne
aunsweryd agayne [,]
& thus me thought he sayde[:]

..I am a kyng
above all thyng
yn hay yff I be layde[!]
..for ye shall see
that kynges thre
shall en on twelfe day[.]
for thys behest
[51b]
geffe me [thy] 270-4 brest
& sing by baby lullay[!]

{p. 271}
..My son I say
wythowttyn nay
thow art my derlyng dere
..I shall the kepe
whyle thow dost slepe
& make the goode chere.
..And all thy whylle
I wyll fulfill
thon wotyst hyt well yn fay[.]
..yet more then thys
I wyll the kys
and syng by baby lullay [.]

..My moder swete
when I haue slepe [,]
then take me vp at last
..vppon yor kne
thatt [y]e 271-1 sett me
and handell me full soft
..& yn yor arme
[52a]
lap me ryght || warme
& kepe me myght & day
..and yff I wepe
and can nott slepe
syng by by baby lullay[.]

..My son my lorde
my father dere
syth all ys at thy wyll[,]
..I pray the sun
graunte me a bone
yff hyt be ryght & skylle[:]
..that chylde or man
may euer come
be mercy on thys day[,]
..to blys them bryng
& I shall syng
by by baby lullay
& I shall syug
by by baby lullay[.]

..My mother shene
of heuyn quene
yor askyng shall I spede[,]
..so that the myrth
dysplease me nott
[52b]
yn [wordys]271-2 || nor in dede[,]

{p. 272}
..syng what ye wyll
so that ye fullfyll
my ten cömaundements ay [,]
..ay yow for to please
let them nott sesse
to syng baby lullay.

[53b]
..My lytell fole
ys gon to play
sehe wyll tary no longer wt me
..he how frisca Joly
vnder ye grene wood tre
he how frisca Joly &c.

Flugel's Footnotes for p. 270.

2. Bl. 49 enthält kompositionen zu dem liedanfange 'Loue to be constät they say ht und 'The Duke of Sond[?] has dompe [?]'. Return

3 Im texte zweimal widerholt. Return

4. In der handschrift abgerissen. Return

Flugel's Footnotes for p. 271.

1. Lücke in der handschrift. Return

2. Desgleichen. Return

Editor's Note:

In a footnote at the end of the text, Flugel makes mention of a text in Add. Ms. 28636, fol. 34 (s.98) which begins:

A Robyn
Joly Robyn
tell me how thy leman doeth
and thou shall know of myn [!] etc.

Editor's Note:

There are numerous carols with a very similar title, and at least five manuscript sources for versions of these two songs, including, but not limited to:

1. Versions from Addit. Ms. 5465, British Library:

2. Versions from Ms. Eng. Poet. e. 1.:

3. Versions from the Advocates Library, Edinburgh:

4. A Version from the Ms. Royal Appx. 58:

5. A Version from the Balliol MS. 354, the Richard Hill Commonplace Book:

6. A Version from Ritson's Manuscript, Add. MS 5665

Because of the similarity of the texts from Add. MS 5465 (Fairfax Ms.) and Add. MS 5665 (Ritson's Ms.), it is impossible to determine the source of Edith Rickert's second version of this carol, This Endernight I Saw A Sight (Burden: "Ah, my dear Son," said Mary, "ah, my dear,), pp. 62-63.

Print Page Return Home Page Close Window

If you would like to help support Hymns and Carols of Christmas, please click on the button below and make a donation.


Related Hymns and Carols